5.17.2012

5.16.12 Reviews (Conan Uber Alles Edition)

Conan The Barbarian #4 (Dark Horse): They told me his name was "James," but
I’m just gonna’ go ahead and call the guy “Rough Hewn Harren,” because that’s
how his glorious pencils strike me. The single panels are good, the full pages are
great, and the double-page spreads are breathtaking. They have an almost Sergio
Aragones level of detail about them, without the humor obviously. His hard-chiseled
men look like they’ve brawled and been knocked around, and that’s all juxtaposed
against the sumptuous eyes of Belit’s female form. I think I actually like this
art better than Becky Cloonan’s (which I like a lot) because it feels more at
home here, more rough and tumble, not as (and I hate this term) “cartoony” or
light. You can’t really talk about the art without acknowledging the
best-in-the-business colors of Dave Stewart. Whether it’s warm Earth tones, the
crisp blue water, or a starry moonlit sky, the world just leaps off the page in
a way that grabs you and demands attention. It’s interesting to see a younger Conan,
one not as self-reliant as in his later years, willing to trust, work as part
of a team, depend on other people, be swept up in their plots, give into
emotions, and even let himself fall in love. At times, Wood’s script may lean
toward being a little dense with omniscient voice-over narration, but it’s so
rich and engaging you hardly notice. It also generally fits the tone of the source
material well, which could be heavy with descriptive prose. It’s a difficult
thing to strike a balance between being faithful to source material (close enough to
avoid fanboy fury anyway) and striking out to tell your own tale. At nearly $4
with tax, this still feels like you’re getting your money’s worth. It’s dense,
it takes time to digest, and is impossible to fly through. I hate to invoke the
name of a writer who only wrote one book I honestly like, but the poeticism of Neil Gaiman and Sandman
kept popping into my brain toward the end. As Conan plunged into the icy waters
of despair in his dream, we learn that one of the most powerful things, more powerful
than his physical prowess, more captivating than a pirate’s greed of gold, more
alluring than the raw drive and freedom of adventure, or even the primal
attraction he bears for Belit, is hope.
And there you have it, "despair," "dreams," all balanced with "hope," key words for any Gaiman scholar. It’s a handful
of the most intense universal forces you’ll find, fictional or otherwise, from California
to Cimmeria, from Vermont to Messantia. Grade A.

Saucer Country #3 (DC/Vertigo): Ahhh, it’s just so
effortless. It’s like you’re watching a TV show, you can just sit back and be
entertained as the natural words pour over you and the images flow seamlessly
from one visual to the next in front of your eyes. There’s no hiccups, no pauses,
no difficult transitions, it’s just so fluid, words dancing around pictures
dancing around script dancing around plot. It’s really good. There isn’t like
some blow you away moment, but Paul Cornell delivers a high quality drama from
start to finish with slightly off-center characters that instill a real
curiosity about what’s to come. It really makes you think that his TV writing
experience has finally come bearing fruit and prepped him for this oft
sound-byted “West Wing meets X-Files” project. Ryan Kelly’s art has been
getting better and better with every project, and just when you think you’ve
seen the best it can be (New York Five), it can look even more polished
(admittedly, probably due to the color). Point being, he’s absolutely ready for
prime time rockstar artist status. Vertigo should be signing him to an
exclusive deal already and getting him on some even higher profile
creator-owned projects, so he can continue to fund his own (Funrama!) ventures
on the side. This issue sees Professor Kidd coming aboard staff complete with
his own psychosis, with several other fringe groups investigating extraterrestrial
theories in their own manner. Cornell has a way with the language, tapping ideas like
“myth bridging the gap between truth and lies.” Also? Blue Bunnies! Grade A.

Scalped #58 (DC/Vertigo): Man, I can’t believe there are
only two issues left! I still remember picking up #1 years ago and the thrilling instant
hook of leafing over to that last page to learn that Dash was an undercover FBI
Agent. It absolutely makes me tense and my skin crawl whenever Dash and Red Crow
face off. You never know if they’ll continue their weird “honor among thieves”
credo or give into their base instincts and shoot the hell out of each other. And
what the hell is Catcher doing? One thing you can say about Jason Aaron is that
he’s a closer. With the credibility in the bank that this book has established,
he could have probably just coasted across the finish line, but instead he’s still
charging ahead like a runaway freight train. Honestly, I feel like I can’t
really review this thing until it’s all in and all done. I mean, the art is lovely,
the language is scary, and it’s one of the best comics created, like, ever.
What the hell am I gonna’ say now on issue 58 out of 60 that’s gonna’ move the
needle one way or the other? Grade A.

Batwoman #9 (DC): Has it been a while since this book came
out last? I ask because I have zero recollection of the overarching plot thrust
here. Something about missing kids? Or was that the last arc? I remember the
name “Falchion,” but couldn’t tell you who he is or what he’s doing here. I
recall nothing about Sune either, feels like I missed an issue, though I’m
positive I didn’t. Anyway, the art from Trevor McCarthy was actually a really
pleasant surprise. Honestly, I expected to hate it, but I like it more than Amy
Reeder’s work. It’s still not as good as JH Williams III (what is?), but the
line work is nice and tight and the layouts are particularly effective at aping
JH3’s overall style and ornamentation, to the point that I’m wondering if Jim actually
did some layouts for Trevor? Despite a faded plot hook, despite DC revolving
door artist shenanigans, I’m still really enjoying this cast of amazing women.
This book would be hard to give up if I ever gave up Marvel and DC books some
day like David Brothers did a while back. I’m just sayin’. From Kate, to
Maggie, to Cameron, to Bette, and now to Sune as would-be sidekick, it’s pretty
rare you see not only well-written women (by someone other than, say, Brian
Wood), but an entire ensemble cast of well-written women carrying a mainstream
property title. Also? (Spoiler Alert, I guess?) I’m deeply concerned about the
status of Bette Kane, aka: Flamebird. Her flat-lining while her uncle watches,
and her cousin being oblivious to what’s going on, does not bode well at all. Grade
A-.